von Baur

My son is about to head out on his second tour in Afghanistan. If "it" happens and they picketed his funeral I'd be torn between unholstering my M&P .40 right there or getting pictures, tracking them down and seeing how much of my SF training I remember. Tough call. On the one hand you have the instant gratification and the ability to try a temporary insanity plea. But on the other hand you have the satisfaction of knowing the increasing fear the ones left will experience as the survivor list shortens.

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Gun range??? Do you mean out my back door? I live in the country and have removeable (to make mowing easier) 25-meter and 50-meter pistol placements. The only thing I'm waiting on to go active is some steel plate to use as a backstop. I also have a position set at about 120 meters for my .22 rifle. And exploding targets. Bought over-the-counter. As Yakov Smirnoff would say, "Whatacountry!!!"

oops

Love the new avatar, Widowmaker. Fits the saying much better. And it reminds me of the next moment.

I'm guessing the Rocket motor for the Me-262.

I doubt Churchill's tome would've included much, if anything. But I've confirmed that Stephenson's story was titled "A Man Called Intrepid". Definitely worth reading, even though I believe it was strictly about his WWII espionage activities. It was where I first heard about Enigma, some of the "Magic" Division's work, and many other things. For instance: Allied bombers took a heavy toll on the supply lines to Rommel's Afrika Korps. The British knew exactly where these convoys would be, thanks to Ultra decrypts. But to prevent the Germans' figuring that out they would regularly schedule multiple recon flights in "likely" areas, knowing full well that all but one would be a waste of fuel. But that one would fly directly over the convoy, thus giving a plausible excuse for its discovery without tipping off the Germans that their unbreakable code had been broken. Lots of other good stuff in there, too. But I warn you, don't read it if you think Monty was a WarGod and want to go on thinking that. Once you find out how much he was in on it'll become clear that no one could have lost to Rommel at El Alamein and that Market Garden was doomed before it began.

Olham, my models I built myself. Revell 1/32 scale. A Camel, Dr1, and SPAD XIII in the series, as well as WWII planes. But it was the early birds that really fascinaated me. I had several of each. Drilled bullet holes in some, put electric motors in others. The best four or five I gave to the local hobby shop where I'd bought them when I joined the Air Force. They were on display there until the owner sold the shop, which he did while I was out of state, so I couldn't reclaim them. It's ok, though. BUT, I also had a comic book collection which I told my parents to throw away when they were cleaning out the attic in 1974. Mint condition of most Marvel titles from the mid-60's through early 70's. Some series from their first issues. A few years later the comic book craze his, but it was too late. That collection probably would have fetched several thousand dollars, maybe as high as six-figures. That hurt.

Stephenson wrote a book about his WWII exploits (I believe the title was "A Man Called Intrepid"...I know Intrepid was in there somewhere, because it was his code name). He described in it, among other things, how fascinated Ian Fleming was with deception...disguising weapons, transceivers and the like as other things so as not to arouse suspicion. He suggested that was where Fleming picked up on the idea, which he used later in his James Bond novels and became almost schtick in the movies.

SPIES!!??!! How dare you, sir?? Only the enemy uses spies, the dirty, rotten scoudrels!!! We employ intelligence gatherers. And brave, wonderful lads they are, every mother's son of them.

I read his book many years ago. Fascinating. Where I first learned of Ian Fleming's involvement in...hmmmm, that may give it away. **edit** LOL, Lou. I'd thought of saying something like that, but you beat me to it.

Finally got AnKor's shader mod installed. Had to download and install the latest DX9 for it to work (thanx for the tip, AnKor). Who would've thought that a properly-updated Windows7 wouldn't have that already? Obviously, not I. But it was well worth the time. Having your aircraft cast shadows on itself really makes WOFF come alive, visually. Not that WOFF isn't terrific, but that flat lighting was a weak point, IMO. And it's not just shadows on the wings, fuselage and cockpit interior, but you cast a shadow on your prop disc, too, although it strikes me as being a bit to distinct. If you read this, AnKor, maybe you could blur the prop disc shadow just a little for the final release. But don't take away the glint on the wings...it's perfect. Not too much, not too little. I even noticed an increase in framerate, too, over immediately before installing the mod. Just a few frames per second, but every little bit helps. All-in-all, I highly recommend it for anyone who hasn't got it yet. WOFF site, "User Mods".

I would say contact AnKor directly via IM, Beard. I don't know if he's registered here...I got him through SimHQ.

AROTH, no need for JSGME. Just paste the two files and the folder into the OBDWWI Over Flanders Fields folder and leave them there. I say this because, once you turn it on I can't imagine your ever wanting to turn it off. Beard, I had exactly the same problem. IM'd AnKor and he said to download and install the latest DX9 files http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35 . Did that and everything went great. elephant, I've heard that conflicts occur when you have SweetFX and the Shader mod. Not having SweetFX I have no first-hand experience, but I do recall something in the readme file about it. Worst comes to worst, check with AnKor. It's worth the effort, believe me.

Streakeagle: I wouldn't disagree with your statement, but I'd bet that he would. My guess is that any WWII vet (or Korean, for that matter) would look at the dangers of Viet Nam, Afghanistan and Iraq and thank their lucky stars that when they put their lives on the line it was in a conflict that had generally stable and identifiable front lines and areas of safety not far from them. I also think that they couldn't comprehend how today's fighting men can maintain their edge when they know that death could come from seemingly harmless things like a basket of fruit, a parked car or a civilian walking down the road at literally any moment, day or night, from the time they enter the theater until the time they leave it. They didn't have a "tour of duty", no. Their enlistment was "the duration plus six months". But realistically a man who hit the beach on D-Day and survived to the end of the war, with no R&R, still only served 10 months on the front line. A tour in Viet Nam was a year, as it was in Iraq II and until recently in Afghanistan. I take nothing away from the WWII vets (my father was one of them). But don't set them on such a pedestal that you sell short the current generation. Viggen: You should count yourself a lucky man (as I'm sure you do, given you remember it nine years later). And finally (lest any of you feel the first part of this was too severe): I'm a paratrooper. I went through Basic Airborne Training in October of 1973. I came out of that thoroughly indoctrinated in the "Airborne" mindset and full of bluster and bravado. Later I went to Jumpmaster School which, combined with the hundred or so militarty jumps I've made, qualifies me to wear Master Parachutist wings. And I did so, proudly, throughout my military career. Even into civilian life I was proud of those wings, and still am. When faced with challenges I always think to myself that if I could do that then I can do anything. Then in 2001 I watched "Band of Brothers." I identified with the men as they went through their training in the first episode. I even feel that Sobel was somewhat shortshrifted by his portrayal. And while I wouldn't follow him into a convenience store it was his drive that forged these individuals into a solid unit that could stand the worst that the Nazis and the weather could throw at them from June 5th through the Bulge and into Germany. But mostly, especially after the bullets started flying, I felt ashamed. Ashamed that I had put myself on the pedestal that those men bought with their blood and built with their bones. They earned the airborne its reputation by living through what I can't even imagine. And as proud of my "master-blasters" as I am, his skeeter wings are worth more by many orders of magnitude. So for this, to him and those who went before and will go after him, I say: SALUTE and thank you and rest easy, soldier. **editted for spelling**

It makes me feel old when..... . . . ...I look in a mirror. Or at a calendar. Or at memories from my childhood and young adult life played out on The History Channel.

Amen to that.

Yes, WOFF's map doesn't line up well with the real-world. After your report about Amiens I decided to try a QC from Douai, my most-frequented field in OFF and one whose surrounding countryside I am as familiar with as I am my own hometown's, and I may as well have been flying over somewhere in Africa or China. The city is missing, as is the city immediately to its northeast, and the double river flowing through Douai itself so accurately depicted in OFF is a single stream. This will make Lou's contributions even more valuable for those of us who would like to fly with printed maps.

...is there a way to repaint planes in fsx and have it take?

Thanx in advance. I got back into this a while back and downloaded an OV-10 Bronco, which I always liked during my ROMAD days in the Air Force and has got to be the most fun plane to fly in fsx, and I wanted to paint it in the colors of my favorite football team. But when I tried I ended up with the same all-black that you describe. I'll try it and post the results. Probably be a couple of months, though...not a lot of time and I'm s-l-o-w. And, BTW, it's not going to be orange and blue.

Not to sound too disrespectful, but where besides the UK and some of their former colonies, France, and Belgium is even the end of the Great War much remembered? Here in the USA November 11 is Veterans' Day, with no specific reference to WWI at all. Not saying it's right...I believe it isn't, personally...it's just that 1914-1918 was overshadowed by 1939-1945 in nearly every aspect. And many have somewhat tied the two together, blaming the heavy-handedness at Versailles of the Allies for setting the stage for someone like Hitler in the first place, thus creating almost a sequel, or even Act I/Act II, scenario (the war started in 1914 and ended in 1945 with a 21-year intermission). As for the hoopla over marking the war's start, I think that's more the fact that "it's 100 years since X happened" than celebrating the beginning of something so horrid.

I just noticed this and, while I'm not interested at this time (but watch out when I'm retired and with more time on my hands ), I'd like to applaud the decision. This is possibly the best example of freedom of speech I've seen anywhere in a looooooooooooooong time.

Hmmm, I guess I got a bit disoriented again, Hauksbee, sorry. Yes, that was the river. Water is, of course, clear not blue (unless there are significant mineral deposits in it) so you'll see a muddy gray or brown from directly above most of the time. It only looks blue on a clear day when viewed from a suffciently shallow angle as to reflect the sky. While OFF/WOFF lakes are blue, they've done the rivers as you saw it. Did you fly along it very far? I seem to remember at least one bridge crossing it, which would be something of a give-away. The hill is there, I promise you. Fly over the road close to the ground and you'll see it. It's not terribly steep and, if I remember, the slope is wooded, which might make it less noticeable from even a few hundred feet. And especially with the Camel's wings and huge nose in the way. Another reason I like the DH2 for sightseeing...excellent forward visibility.

Well, F5 brings up the HUD instruments. Totally unrealistic but you're doing this for a joyride, so why the heck not? I think it's something like Shift_1, Shift_2, etc to cycle through the different instruments for each display. (Something)_Z brings up your info in the upper left corner, I just cant remember if it's Shift_ or CTRL_. That's got a line for heading. Bertangles West has an east-west takeoff and landing pattern (mostly taking off headed east), so if you want you can always select morning, clear skies and as long as the sun is behind you just turn right. Yes, crashed at the bottom of the hill. OFF slopes aren't gentle, rolling things they're flat plates at harsh angles to the equally flat and level terrains at their tops and bottoms, as I'm sure you've noticed. If you're driving the Model T or riding the bicycle the program registers that as an impact. Seriously! When you take your flight look around, some of the wrecks may still be there.

Not sure what key commands you'd need, Hauksbee. If you enlist in 24 RFC you'll be assigned to Bertangles in a DH2, which has a lovely compass at your feet. Take off, turn south and follow the road just east of the airfield. There's usually a convoy of lorries headed that way...you can buzz them and give them a show. (Hmmm, just had a wierd thought. I wonder of the devs could add some kind of cheer to go up whenever we fly over friendly ground troops?) As a side note, don't try driving or riding the bicycle there. I tried it with the intention of driving among the buildings and maybe tryng to go over some bridges. But no matter how slowly I went down the hill I always crashed at the bottom.